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 Welcome to the SERC web site. As the Nation's leading research and education center dedicated to understanding ecological processes that sustain life at the land/sea margin, we are committed to finding solutions to grand environmental challenges that we face in the 21st century. Over 70 percent of the world's population lives in the coastal zone which includes the Earth's most biologically productive ecosystems, supports the majority of the world's fisheries, provides vast reserves of oil, gas and other non-living resources. Coastal lands are some of the most productive in the world for agricultural and forestry. The coastal zone is also a major center for transportation, commerce and recreation. At the same time, this vast region of the world is subject to multiple stresses including over fishing, species invasion, climate change and sea level rise. Changes in land use and new forms of managing aquatic systems effect society's future well being. SERC scientists for nearly forty years have been in the forefront of understanding and solving contemporary environmental issues. Our site on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay serves as a central campus for exploring our environment with other research that extends throughout the world. Our environmental educators provide rich content to the public based on our research through distance learning, web based programs and on site visits. Environmental literacy is a key component of our program which allows the public to understand the issues and actively participate in solutions to sustain life on earth. SERC is a major training center for the next generation of environmental scientists. The future of our environment is dependent on well trained individuals who hone their skills on our campus under the tutelage of our world class scientists. Annually scores of students from the undergraduate through the post-doctoral levels spend time with us. Our revised web site is designed to engage the visitor at multiple levels from those who are interested in basic information on our environment to those who wish to drill down and access our databases for their own research purposes. No matter your particular interests I am sure you will find content that suits your purposes. To perform our important work requires resources. If you wish to support our vital mission, I encourage you to contact me and I will work with you to see that your support matches your interests. We welcome your feedback on our web site and our programs. We are committed to serving the public and we look forward to hearing your comments on what we can do to improve. Enjoy your visit and we look forward to welcoming you back many times. |
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